Christoph Anstötz

Christoph Anstötz is a professor at the University of Dortmund, Germany, who specializes in the ethical problems in the education of severely mentally retarded students. In the following viewpoint, Anstötz discusses a case in which a pregnant German woman who was brain-dead was sustained on a life-support system until her baby was born. Anstötz asserts that maintaining a brain-dead woman on life-support to prolong a pregnancy does not rob the woman of her dignity.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How did the doctors caring for Marion Ploch’s fetus put a value on the life of her fetus, according to Anstötz?
2. What was the reaction of the German public to the news that doctors were trying to sustain Marion Ploch’s pregnancy, according to the...